Improvement in grain-binders



4 3Sh'eets--Sheet2. SYLVANUS D'. LOCKE.

Improvement in Grain B inde rs. NO. 121290. Patented N -2 8,187 1.

@ a T fi gll.

BINDER our of GEAR' SEPARATING THE GRAIN Q9 q mambo- PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVANUS D. LOOKE, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,290, dated November 28, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLVANUS D. Locxn, of Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Binders for Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 are diagrams, showing the binding-arms in different positions during the course of their operations. Fig. 7 represents the take-up pulley in top and bottom plan and elevation. Fig. 8 represents, in plan elevation and section, the pinion which transmits motion to the binding machinery. Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the same pinion with disconnecting-lever.

This invention relates to improvements in the automatic grain-binder patented to me on the 17th day of January, 1871, and numbered 111,- 069, to which reference is hereby made for a description of the devices by means of which the band is passed around the gavel and the ends secured, it being my intention to employ said devices or other similar ones with the devices hereinafter described. My present invention, therefore, consists: First, in the devices for stopping the motion of the binder at the will of the attendant, as may be required by the condition of the grain upon the ground; second, in the divided apron in connection with the binding devices; third, in the devices by means of which the compressing-arm is made to discharge the bundle or sheaf when bound; fourth, in the mechanism by which the slack of the band is taken up.

That others may fully understand my invention I will particularly describe it.

The arrangement of the driving mechanism which I prefer to employ is fully described in the specification of an application for Letters Patent which I have filled of even date herewith, though it is evident that it is not necessary to employ the particular arrangement therein shown, as any other adapted to the particular machine to which this binding apparatus may be attached may be used.

The main driving-shaft A receives its motion from the main driving-wheel A, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, either directly or through an intermediate counter-shaft, and transmits motion to the binding mechanism through the shafts B O and connecting bevel-gears D E at their contiguous ends. The shaft B has, at its lower end, a bevel-gear, F, and said gear meshes with the bevel-pinion G, which runs loosely upon the shaft A. A coupling-plate H is placed on and keyed fast to the shaft A outside of the pinion-G, and a pawl, I, is placed upon said plate in such a position as will enable it to engage with a notch, g, in the periphery of the pinion G, and when so engaged said pinion will revolve with the shaft A, and motion will therefore be transmitted to the binding mechanism. When the pawl I is raised from engagement with the said notch the pinion will cease to revolve with the shaft, and the binding mechanism will be motionless during said interval. I make this disengagement subject to the will of the attendant by placing upon the side of the pawl I a flange, i, and arrange a plate or arm, J, with a similar flange, j, which, when said arm is depressed, will pass under the flange i and lift the pawl I out of engagement with the pinion-notch. So long as the arm J is kept depressed the pawl I will, at each revolution, pass over flange j, and therefore will not engage with pinion G. At the same time the lower end of the plate J may be caused to encounter the rim of the pinion G and act upon it like a brake, so that the binding-arms may be stopped and held in any desired position. The plate J is attached to and operated by a footlever, K, which is pivoted to the frame of the machine in any suitable way, and is provided with a spring or its equivalent to throw up the free end when it is not desired to stop the apparatus. The standard L is constructed of castiron and is hollow. At its lower end it is provided with a broad iron foot-plate, L, which may be extended forward far enough to bolt to the rack-box, (described in my patent of January 17, 1871, and before referred to,) and thus insure perfect relative position for said rack-box and the twisting-head, (also described in said patent,) which is carried by the binding-arm M. I do not regard said extension of the foot-plate as being absolutely necessary, however, provided the foot of the standard and the rack-box are both bolted to the same bed-plank, as the requisite firmness may thereby apparently be secured. The de vices for carrying the binding material around the gavel, securing and severing its ends, and

compressing the bundle, consist of two arms, M

O, mounted at the end and revolving with the shaft 0, and a vibrating arm, P, pivoted at the end of the standard L and a little below the shaft 0. The arm M carries the twisting mechanism and the ends of the binding-wire, while the arms 0 P compress the gavel into a compact bundle and permit the binding material to be drawn tightly around it. The arm M has a segmentgear, Q, upon its head, and the movement of the arm P in one direction is produced by said segment Q meshing with a similar segment, It, on the head of the said arm P. This causes said arms 0 P to move toward each other when gathering and compressing the gavel. The movement of arm P in the opposite direction is produced by a pin, S, set in the side of the arm M and arranged to act against a cam, T, upon said arm P. The said gears Q R and the said pin S and cam T act alternately; and, whereas the arm M revolves and the arm P vibrates, the compressing-arm O is coupled with arm M by a double-actin g spring or springs U V, which permit the relative positions of the arms M O to vary in either direction within certain limits. The compressingarm Q has at its end a laterally-projecting finger, 0, which, when the gavel is bound, is located in the rear of the point where the binding material is united. When the fastening has been. completed the arm 0 is caused to advance more rapidly than the arm M, and the gavel is thereby pushed forward and withdrawn from the twisting mechanism, and the bundle will then be free to drop upon the ground. This result is attained by means of the cam T and pin S before mentioned. When the segment-gears go out of mesh the pin S has already passed below the part if of the cam '1, so that the arm P cannot recede any faster than the arm M advances but, because said arms M P advance together and move upon separate centers, the

- in S moves throu h an arc of lar er radius and advances along the cam and into the notch a, after which the arm P is caused to move more rapidly than the arm M because it moves upon a shorter radius. This relative movement con-' tinues until the pin S has passed out of the notch n on the other side, when the motion of the arm P ceases until the segments Q R come again into mesh. When the motion of arm P begins to be accelerated, as above described, a pin, W, set in the side of said arm engages with the edge of a cam-plate, Y, placed in proper position upon the said arm 0, and said arm is also thereby forced to advance faster than arm M with the effect above setforth-i. 0., to discharge the gavel. When the cams and pins have disengaged the springs UVreturn the arms M O to their proper relative positions.

For use with an automatic binder it is advantageous to have the apron B divided longitudinally through its central portion, so that the gathering-arm of the binder may strike into and beneath the gavel, passing into the space between the parts. of the apron, as shown in Fig. 1." ""This' manner of constructing the apron B permits the binding-arm M to take the grain directly from the moving apron instead of gathering entirely from the receptacle into which the apron has delivered it, and it therefore permits the binder to be placed closer up to the apron than would be possible if it were undivided. The arms 0, which drive the separate parts of the apron B are mounted upon the same shaft 1), and the end of the binding-arm may be so adjusted as to strike through the space between the drums, only clearing the shaft. From the point of the binding-head the binding-arm M is curved in a spiral toward the center of the shaft 0, so that the grain moving with the apron will not be arrested by said arm M, during its passage through the space between the parts of the apron.

I prefer to use wire for a binding material, and it is wound upon the reel which is secured to the frame at E or some other convenient point. From the reel the wire runs to the takeup pulley F, which is located beneath the grainreceptacle, as shown in Fig. 1, and immediately in the plane of revolution of the twisting-head at the end of the arm M. This take-up pulley is composed of a shell inclosing a spiral spring, and has a groove upon its periphery to receive the slack wire from the band, as shown in Fig. 7. The wire enters a hole, f, in the side of the take-up pulley as near the center of rotation as practicable, and passes through said hole and out at the periphery within the slack-wire groove. A small friction-roller, c, prevents chafing of the band-wire as it passes through said hole in the,

pulley. When the band-wire is placed in position it is entered through the hole, as described, and so much wire is wound upon the pulley F as will be taken up as slack in binding the sheaf, and the end of the wire is then placed between the nippers of the twisting head. When the twisting-head is moved forward with the arm M the wire is drawn out, first unwinding from the take-up pulley, and thereby winding up the spring therein, and then drawing so much as is required in addition through the hole, as set forth. This additional quantity will be just the length consumed in binding the sheaf. 'As soon as the arm M has passed over one-half of its revolution the take-up pulley will begin to wind up the slack wire, and will continue so to do until the sheaf is bound and the wire twisted. The wire is, therefore, kept tight around the sheaf at all times.

Having described my invention, what I claim plate Y, and pin W, substantially as described, inclosed take-up spring, the friction-roller e, and to effect an acceleration of the motion of arm 0 the orifice f to receive the binding-Wire at or to discharge the gavel. near the center of revolution, as and to operate 3. The apron B, divided longitudinally and in the manner set forth.

the parts separated, as described, in combination SYLVANUS D. LOGKE.

with the binding-arm M, substantially as and for Witnesses:

the purpose set forth. J. M. MAY,

4. The take-up pulley F, constructed with an S. A. HUDSON. 7 (74B) 

